Sun position in Reading

Where the sun stands over Reading, United Kingdom (51.4562°, -0.9711°) - today's sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length and shadow length, plus the sun path across the whole year.

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Local time UTC+0
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Sun times in Reading on 4 November 2026

Local time in Reading, UTC+0 (standard time). On 28 March 2027 the clocks go forward one hour, so sunrise moves from 05:51 to 06:49.
Sunrise	07:02	rises toward ESE (114°)
Solar noon	11:47	sun 23.1° above the horizon
Sunset	16:32	sets toward WSW (246°)
Day length	9 h 29 min
Civil dawn	06:27	first usable light
Civil dusk	17:07	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	07:02–07:53	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	15:41–16:32	warm low light
Shadow at noon	2.35 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for 51.4562°, -0.9711° and refreshed every day. For any other date, an exact azimuth or a shadow drawn on the map, open the interactive sun position map for Reading.

The sun’s path over Reading

How high the sun stands and where, from sunrise to sunset: today, at both solstices and at the equinox. The higher a curve climbs, the higher the sun; where a curve meets the bottom line, the sun rises or sets at that compass bearing.

Today, 4 November
21 June
Equinox, March and September
21 December

The sun's altitude against its compass bearing over Reading. On 21 June the sun rises at 49° (NE), climbs to 62.0° at solar noon and sets at 311° (NW). On 21 December the sun rises at 128° (SE), climbs to 15.1° at solar noon and sets at 232° (SW).

The sun through the year in Reading

Sunrise, sunset, day length, noon altitude and noon shadow on the 15th of each month, on the local clock
Month	Sunrise	Sunset	Day length	Noon altitude	Noon shadow
January	08:03	16:24	8 h 22 min	17.5°	3.2 m
February	07:18	17:19	10 h 01 min	26.0°	2.1 m
March	06:18	18:08	11 h 50 min	36.5°	1.4 m
April	06:08	20:00	13 h 52 min	48.4°	0.9 m
May	05:12	20:49	15 h 37 min	57.5°	0.6 m
June	04:46	21:23	16 h 36 min	61.9°	0.5 m
July	05:05	21:15	16 h 10 min	60.0°	0.6 m
August	05:49	20:26	14 h 37 min	52.5°	0.8 m
September	06:39	19:18	12 h 40 min	41.5°	1.1 m
October	07:28	18:11	10 h 43 min	29.9°	1.7 m
November	07:22	16:15	8 h 53 min	20.0°	2.7 m
December	08:03	15:55	7 h 52 min	15.3°	3.7 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 62.0° above the horizon in Reading and the day lasts 16 h 38 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 15.1° and the day shrinks to 7 h 50 min. That difference is what decides whether a garden, a window or a solar array sees the sun in winter. The noon shadow column gives the length of the shadow of anything one metre tall.

Reading through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	21 June	16 h 38 min, 04:47–21:25
Shortest day	21 December	7 h 50 min, 08:07–15:57
Earliest sunrise	17 June	04:46
Latest sunrise	30 December	08:09
Earliest sunset	12 December	15:55
Latest sunset	25 June	21:25
Highest midday sun	21 June	62.0°
Lowest midday sun	21 December	15.1°
Sunrise direction	through the year	49° NE (21 June) to 128° SE (22 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	232° SW (21 December) to 311° NW (20 June)

At solar noon the sun in Reading always stands due south, so the south side of a building, a garden or a roof is the one that gets the sun.
From 23 May to 19 July the sky over Reading never gets fully dark: the sun stays less than 18° below the horizon all night, so there is no true astronomical night.
The earliest sunset is on 12 December, 9 days before the shortest day (21 December), and the latest sunrise on 30 December, 9 days after it. Solar noon drifts through the year, so the darkest afternoon and the darkest morning do not fall on the shortest day.
The longest day in Reading is 8 h 48 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 4.0 minutes a day.

The winter solstice 2026: the moment, and the shortest and the longest day, city by city →

When the days start getting longer: the earliest sunset, the latest sunrise and lighter evenings, city by city →

Planning around the sun in Reading

Solar panels

At 51.5° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 42°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 51.4562°, -0.9711° for the exact optimum, the seasonal optima and the loss from an east or west facing roof.

Buying a flat or a plot

At the December solstice the noon sun in Reading sits 15.1° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 3.7 times its own height at midday. Check what stands to the south before you commit: place the building on the map and read the shaded hours for 21 December.

Photography

Golden hour runs 07:02–07:53 in the morning and 15:41–16:32 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (246°). The golden hour calculator gives the same windows for any date, and the map’s alignment finder shows the days when the setting sun lines up with a street.

More on planning around the sun: which way a house, garden or balcony should face, how long golden hour lasts and why the earliest sunset comes before the shortest day.

Other cities

Near Reading

On the same latitude

Reading lies at 51.5° N. On the same parallel the longest and the shortest day last just as long and the noon sun climbs just as high, whatever the clocks say there:

Sunrise and sunset in all 30 cities in the United Kingdom →

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about Reading

What time is sunrise and sunset in Reading today?

On 4 November 2026 the sun rises at 07:02 and sets at 16:32 in Reading (UTC+0), giving 9 h 29 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Reading today?

Solar noon is at 11:47, when the sun stands due south, 23.1° above the horizon. It is the middle of the day by the sun and the moment shadows are shortest.

When is the longest day of the year in Reading?

On 21 June, with 16 h 38 min between sunrise at 04:47 and sunset at 21:25.

When is the shortest day of the year in Reading?

On 21 December, with 7 h 50 min between sunrise at 08:07 and sunset at 15:57.

How high does the sun get in Reading?

At solar noon the sun reaches 62.0° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 15.1° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 23.1°.

In which direction does the sun rise and set in Reading?

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 49° (NE) and 128° (SE), and sunset between 232° (SW) and 311° (NW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Reading?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 42° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.

Does it get dark in Reading in summer?

Not fully. From 23 May to 19 July the sun stays less than 18° below the horizon all night.

When is the earliest sunset in Reading?

On 12 December at 15:55, 9 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 30 December at 08:09, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Reading?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 5 minutes longer, by 31 January 1 h 17 min longer and by 28 February 3 h 00 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 12 December.

What time does it get dark in Reading in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 15:59 and the sky is dark by about 16:38, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 16:05 and darkness at about 16:45.